Our Favorite Meatballs

We love the consistency and taste of PW’s meatballs.  I often make these meatballs with spaghetti but we will have to try PW’s Meatball Sliders recipe.  I think the milk is what makes the consistency amazing.  Then browning the meatballs with the onions adds a fabulous flavor. 

Recipe by the Pioneer Woman

Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 pound Ground Beef
• 1/2 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 1 jar (large) Marinara Sauce

Preparation Instructions

Mix meat with bread crumbs, garlic, salt, pepper, and milk. Knead together with hands. Roll into heaping tablespoon-sized rolls.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for one minute. Add meatballs between the onions and brown for one minute. (You might have to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your skillet.)

Pour in jar of marinara; shake pan gently to mix. Put on lid and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.  Serve with spaghetti. 

Three-Cheese Baked Pasta

recipe by Southern Living

Ingredients

• 1 (16-oz.) package ziti pasta
• 2 (10-oz.) containers Alfredo sauce
• 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
• 1 (15-oz.) container ricotta cheese
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

Preparation

• 1. Cook ziti according to package directions; drain and return to pot.
• 2. Stir together Alfredo sauce and sour cream; toss with ziti until evenly coated. Spoon half of ziti mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
• 3. Stir together ricotta cheese and next 3 ingredients; spread evenly over pasta mixture. Spoon remaining pasta mixture evenly over ricotta cheese layer; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
• 4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
• Note: Ziti pasta is shaped in long, thin tubes; penne or rigatoni pasta may be substituted. For testing purposes only, we used refrigerated Buitoni Alfredo Sauce.

Note: Prepare up to 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes, and bake as directed.